Do you have trouble being present in the moment and experiencing the now? Is your mind like a time machine trekking you back and forth between the past and future? Back to the Future was a great movie, but it belongs on the big screen, not in your life. If you have a difficult time being in the here and now, you may be sidestepping many of life's rich experiences. Not only that, you could also be missing out on some of the psychological benefits of living in the moment. A recent study by the University of Rochester found that mindfulness can predict positive emotional states and decrease mood swings and stress. Gina Lake, author of Radical Happiness: A Guide to Awakening as well as several other books describes the benefits of being present; possible roadblocks to being present; and steps we can take to being more fully present in our every day lives.

The Benefits of Being PresentWhen your mind is back in 2003 reliving a fight with your mother or hanging out in the week ahead crafting a future conversation with your boss, you are not experiencing the present, which could be holding a lot of hidden treasures. Being present gets you out of the suffering caused by negative ruminations and centers you in the moment. Lake says that when you are in the present moment you can drop the storyline of “me” and “my problems.” This allows you to experience a moment in its pure essence as your true self now without all the clutter of the past. Being fully present allows us to act from our true nature and not be ruled by the objections, negativity and demands that can clog our mind and judgment. Lake says that in this state, “Life is much simpler, more satisfying, and absent of problems.”

Why the Mind WandersWe are wired to constantly pay attention to the endless stream of thoughts that occupy our mind.

"It’s hard to be present in the moment because we are, in a sense, programmed to pay attention to the thoughts that are going through our minds rather than to the actual experience of the moment." Lake says.

Perhaps a part of us doesn’t want to experience life purely and simply. Maybe we are scared about what we’ll find underneath all those thoughts. Perhaps we are frightened of our feelings. Whatever the case may be, we feel alive by the “story of me.” All of the worries, fears, concerns and problems are an ongoing drama in which we become engrossed. Our ego would not exist without the mental drama our mind creates—drama is the ego’s fuel. Lake explains that this state of mind is what causes much of our suffering because most of us are led around by our thoughts and feelings; if the majority of our thoughts are negative, life eventually becomes a big, perplexing problem we have to solve. If life is a problem we are constantly trying to solve, we don’t have to take a look at all that juicy stuff underneath the thoughts. If we can wade through all of that negativity, we come to our true experience of life and our genuine self. So, how do we start digging our way through to the good stuff?

How to Ditch the Mind Funk

1. Meditation

Lake recommends meditation as the most effective tool for teaching us how to move out of our mind and into the present moment. She says that meditation enables us to find a way to be in the moment so that being present is easier to maintain even when not meditating. There are many forms of meditation. A common form is to focus on one’s breath. Sit up straight in a chair and focus your attention out to a point on the floor at a comfortable distance in front of you. Pay attention to your breath. Notice yourself breathing in and out, with the focus on the out breath. As thoughts arise, label them as thoughts by saying, “thinking” to yourself. Do this on the out breath. Don’t judge the thoughts, just notice that you are having them, label them and let them go. Set a timer so that you don’t have to constantly check the clock and can focus on your breathing. Start small at just 5 minutes a day and work your way up.

2. Release the past

You can replay the past as many times as you want, but until Marty McFly’s time-traveling DeLorean actually becomes a reality, you cannot change it. If you are constantly absorbed in ruminations about the past (or future for that matter) you are not being fully present in your life. Lake says that the past only exists as thoughts, which are barriers to being present.

Because the past is just a thought, simply ignore these thoughts when they arise, releasing your past. “It’s not more complicated than that, except when there are a lot of feelings attached to that thought.” says Lake. When you find yourself stuck in those feelings, remind yourself that the feelings were also generated by thoughts. See them for what they are.

3. Change your focus

Being absorbed in our thoughts and feelings is what keep us from being fully present. Lake recommends paying attention to anything but your thoughts to bring you back to the present. When you find your mind running full speed ahead, a great way to stop the thought mill is to notice your senses. What are you hearing? What can you smell? What can you physically feel around you? Are you sitting or standing? Are you hot or cold? You’ll notice that after awhile, the thoughts will start to inch their way back in. Lake says that when you snap yourself out of your thoughts and feelings, you go back to experiencing the moment. You can then give your attention to other things that are happening.

4. Change your thinking about thoughts

Sounds confusing, but it’s actually pretty simple. Examine your thoughts as if you are an outside observer looking at the events playing out in your mind, body and experience. Lake tells us that when thoughts arise, we should notice them for what they are.

Begin questioning the thoughts. Do they have substance? Do they have a boundary? What is a thought? How big is it? Where is it coming from? Where does it go? When you start asking yourself these questions you’ll begin to realize that thoughts have nothing to do with who you are. Lake also tells us that being aware of these thoughts in this way allows us to be objective. Objectivity, says Lake, can enable us to examine our thoughts in a way not possible when we are so closely identified with them.

If you are still having trouble being present, consider consulting an expert who can help you get through your mind’s resistance and get to the good stuff. Gina Lake has more resources for being present as well as information about her consulting services on radicalhappiness.com.

When we are in the present moment the world opens up in new, exciting ways. Suddenly we are more calm, decisive and quick. If you weren’t so weighed down by thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow, wouldn’t you live a much more productive and full life? How much time do you spend not being present to your current experience? How many conversations with your child, spouse or loved ones has gone in one ear and out the other because your mind was solving problems in another dimension? How much time do you waste dwelling on yesterday and worrying about tomorrow? Life is made up of moments. You owe it to yourself to experience each one to its fullest.

Are you living your life to the fullest?

James Dean once said, "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." Do you take time to pursue your passions or are you a slave to the daily grind? Find out if you need a new lease on life with this quiz.